SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft launched the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on October 1, 2026, delivering four international crew members in a transit time of seven hours and 50 minutes.
Falcon 9 Achieves Record Transit Time to Orbital Laboratory
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:10 AM ET, Telset.id reported. The mission carried three astronauts and one kosmonaut, completing the journey to the orbital laboratory in seven hours and 50 minutes. According to TVRI News, this duration marks the fastest transit time for a United States crewed spacecraft in the history of the space station.
Prior to liftoff, SpaceX experienced a three-week delay to repair a fuel system leak on the Dragon capsule, as noted by TVRI News. Heavy morning clouds also threatened the countdown before atmospheric conditions improved over Florida. At the time of launch, the ISS was positioned approximately 423 kilometers above Earth, traveling at 28,200 kilometers per hour northwest of Havana, Cuba, RRI.co.id reported. The station passed over the Kennedy Space Center one minute and 37 seconds after liftoff.
International Crew Composition
The four-member crew is led by NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins as mission commander. TVRI News noted that Watkins is the first Black woman to command a flight into Earth orbit, returning to the station following a long-duration stay in 2022 and her earlier work on the Curiosity Mars rover science team. The roster includes NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos kosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, according to ChatNews.id.
Before launching, the flight participants arrived at Kennedy Space Center on September 27 at 12:56 PM local time from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, stopping in Mississippi for refueling ChatNews.id reported. They spent their final days in quarantine before boarding the Falcon 9. Upon leaving Earth’s atmosphere, Watkins radioed back to ground control, stating, “Thank you for the amazing ride,” as cited by TVRI News.
Dragon Spacecraft Docks to Join Expedition 75 Crew
The Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the orbital outpost, and the crew officially entered the station when the hatches opened at 21:19 EDT on October 1, RRI.co.id reported. The four new arrivals integrated with the existing crew of eight already aboard the complex, bringing the total number of occupants to twelve as part of Expedition 75.
The incoming team will spend six months conducting scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in low-Earth orbit, according to Telset.id. Their workload includes replacing the Crew-12 personnel, who previously had to shelter inside their capsule following an air leak detection on the station in June.
Questions About the SpaceX Crew-13 Mission
Who is serving as the commander of the Crew-13 mission?
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins commands the mission, marking the first time a Black woman has commanded an orbital flight. She is joined by NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos kosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.
How long did the trip from Cape Canaveral to the ISS take?
The transit took seven hours and 50 minutes from liftoff to docking, establishing a record for the fastest crewed spacecraft journey to the station by a United States entity.
What caused the initial scheduling adjustments before the flight?
SpaceX delayed the launch by three weeks to address and repair a fuel system leak on the Dragon capsule, while brief weather concerns involving heavy cloud cover were also resolved before the October 1 liftoff.
Related reading